Bernard of Clairvaux, 1091-1153

Notes from Julian's Hymnology:

Saint, abbot and
doctor, he fills one of the most conspicuous positions in the history of the
Middle Ages. His father, Tecelin or Tesselin, a knight of great bravery, was
the friend and vassal of the Duke of Burgundy. Bernard was born at his father's
castle on the eminence of Les Fontaines near Dijon in Burgundy, in 1091. He was
educated at Chantillon, where he was distinguished for his studious and
meditative habits. The world, it would be thought, would have had overpowering
attraction for a youth, who, like Bernard, had all the advantages that high
birth, great personal beauty, graceful manners and irresistable influence could
give, but, strengthened in his resolve by night visions of his mother (who had
died in 1105), he chose a life of asceticism, and became a monk.

In company with an uncle and two of his brothers, who had
been won over by his entreaties, he entered the monastery of
Citaux, the first Cistercian foundation in 1113. Two years later
he was sent forth at the head of twelve monks from the rapidly
increasing and over-crowded abbey, to found a daughter
institution which, in spite of difficulties and privations which
would have daunted less determined men, they succeeded in doing
in the valley of Wormwood, about four miles from the Abbey of La
Feste — itself an earlier swarm from the same parent hive
— on the Aube.

On the death of Pope Honorius II in 1130, the Sacred College
was rent by factions, one of which elected Gregory of St. Angelo
who took the title of Innocent II, while another elected Peter
Leonis under the title of Anacletus II. Innocent II fled to
France, and the question as to whom the allegiance of the King,
Louis VI and the French bishops was due was left by them for
Bernard to decide. At a council held at Etampes, Bernard gave
judgement in favour of Innocent. Throwing himself into the
question with all the ardour of a vehement partisan, he won over
both Henry I, the English king, and Lothair, the German Emperor,
to support the same cause and then in 1133 accompanied Innocent
II who was supported by Lothair and his army, to Italy and
Rome. When Lothair withdrew, Innocent retired to Pisa, and
Bernard for a while to the Abbey of Clairvaux. It was not until
after the death of Anacletus, the anti-pope in January 1138, and
the resignation of his successor, the cardinal priest Gregory,
Victor II, that Innocent II who had returned to Rome with
Bernard, was universally acknowledged Pope, a result to which no
one had so greatly contributed as the Abbot of Clairvaux.

The influence of the latter now became paramount in the
Church, as was proved at the Lateran Council of 1139, the
largest council ever collected together, where the decrees in
every line displayed the mark of his master-hand. After having
devoted four years to the service of the pope, Bernard, early in
1135, returned to Clairvaux. In 1137, he was again at Rome,
impetuous and determined as ever, denouncing the election of a
Cluniac instead of a Clairvaux monk to the see of Langres in
France, and in high controversy in consequence with Peter, the
gentle Abbott of Cluny, and the Archibishop of Lyons. The
question was settled by the deposition by the Pope of the
Cluniac and the elevation of the Clairvaux monk (Godfrey, a
kinsman of Bernard) into his place. In 1143 Bernard raised an
almost similar question as to the election of William to the see
of York, which was settled much after the same fashion, the
deposition after a time, if only for a time, of William, and the
intrusion of another Clairvaux monk, Henry Murdac, or Murdoch,
into the archiespiscopal see. Meantime, between these two dates
— in 1140 — the condemnation of Peter Abelard and
his tenets in which matter Bernard appeared personally as
prosecutor, took place at a council held at Sens. Abelard,
condemned at Sens, appealed to Rome, and resting a while on his
way there at Cluny, where Peter still presided as Abbot, died
there in 1142.

Bernard was next called upon to exercise his unrivalled
powers of persuasion in a very different cause. Controversy
over, he preached a crusade. The summer of 1146 was spent by him
in traversing France to rouse the people to engage in the second
crusade; the autumn with a like object in Germany. In both
countries the effect of his appearance and eloquence was
marvellous. The population seemed to rise en masse and
"take up the cross". In 1147 the expedition started, a
vast horde of which probably not a tenth ever reached
Palestine. It proved a complete failure and a miserable remnant
shared the flight of their leaders, the Emperor Conrad and
Louis, King of France, and returned home defeated and
disgraced. The blame was thrown on Bernard, and his apology for
his part in the matter is extant. He was not, however, for long
to bear up against reproach; he died in the 63rd year of his
age, in 1153, weary of the world and glad to be at rest.

Bernard's hymn
in 'Spiritual Songs' (translated by E. Carswell) is no. 414, "Jesus, the
very thought of Thee, With sweetness fills the breast". A very popular
hymn and often sung with reverence towards the Lord Jesus.

"O joy of
all the meek" sounds very incongruous with the brief notes of Bernard's
life given by Dr. Julian above.